


All of the Stars Will Guide Us Home

by my_little_nightmare



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: <333, F/F, angsty shit, but yall get nobell angst, im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:28:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28557627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/my_little_nightmare/pseuds/my_little_nightmare
Summary: here’s some nobell angst i wrote for wlw renegades week!!!Danna trys to rescue Adrian and Oscar from the cathedral, and runs into Nova.  Nova has to make a decision about what she truly wants, while keeping the truth from Danna.
Relationships: Nova Artino | Nightmare/Danna Bell | Monarch
Kudos: 3





	All of the Stars Will Guide Us Home

Nova crept through the Cathedral, shoes barely making a sound on the smooth surface. She was making her way to Honey. They had to cut the tattoos out of Adrian. Nova felt like she should be upset, she and Adrian had been together. And while it had started as a show, it had grown into something more. So shouldn’t Nova be at least a little upset?  
She wasn’t. At all. She was completely and totally over Adrian Everhart. He had his secrets too. He was the Sentinel, and he hadn’t told her.   
Adrian was worth nothing to her now.   
A flutter caught her eye, and Nova looked to see hundreds of monarchs hovering above an open window. Danna. It must be. She must have slipped through the cracks in Ace’s wall. They cycloned into a swarm, morphing into the tall girl. Her dreadlocks were pulled back in a bun.   
Her eyes narrowed. “Nightmare,” she hissed, sprinting forwards.  
Nova panicked. “Danna, wait!” She said quickly.   
The girl stumbles to a halt. “Nova?”   
Nova nodded, sighing and removing her mask.   
“Hey, Danna,” she said tiredly.   
Danna’s eyes widened as the reality of the situation crashed down on her.   
“Nova…you-you’re Nightmare!” Danna gaped.   
Nova felt her heart pound in her head. No, this was too soon. She didn’t want Danna to know about her yet. She couldn’t handle seeing the hate in her eyes. It was already bad enough having to betray her old teammates. . Seeing Danna learn the truth would destroy her.   
“No!” Nova protested. “I’m not.”  
Danna cocked her head. “Then why are you in the Anarchist secret lair, wearing Nightmare’s uniform?”  
Nova searched desperately for an explanation. “Because… I’m a spy! Captain Chromium talked to me about this a while ago. He wanted me to pretend to be Nightmare to infiltrate the Anarchists. But since Adrian is captured, he agreed to let me infiltrate now.”  
“Oh.” Danna eyed her suspiciously. “So what do we do?”  
Nova shrugged. “I was on my way to Adrian. I was planning on figuring it out along the way.”  
Danna let out a reliever breath. “You know where he is?”  
Nova nodded. “At least the spot they’re holding him. Based on the layouts of most Cathedrals I think I can figure out where it is.”  
Danna snorted. “What, you're an expert on old architecture?”  
Nova nodded. “Yeah, I actually am. I have a lot of free time on my hands.” She smirked. “Now come on, we don’t have a lot of time.”  
Danna let out a bewildered huh, then hurried after Nova.   
Nova tried not to cringe. She should just put Danna to sleep and let the other anarchists handle her. She should focus on defeating the Renegades, not some girl that hated who she really was. But Nova couldn’t help herself. She treasured the knowledge that she hadn’t ruined her relationship with Danna yet. Adrian and Oscar were beyond salvation. But Danna… Nova could still fix things between them before it became too late. She didn’t need to lose Danna too. She didn’t want to lose Danna too.   
Nova had to keep up this facade a little longer. She had to make it work. Or else Nova had no clue what she would do.   
For the first time, Nova realized that maybe these feelings she felt were more than just guilt. Though there was still guilt. It lay over her, thick and heavy. This guilt over lying to Danna was crushing her. But maybe that wasn’t all that was bothering her.   
Maybe Nova didn’t want to just lose a friend. Maybe Nova wanted Danna to be something more than a friend. Maybe Nova wanted to be Danna’s girlfriend.   
Nova tried not to scoff.   
In love with a Renegade? Impossible. Nova was an Anarchist. She’d never stoop so low. But there was still a strange feeling hovering in Nova’s gut, fluttering when she saw Danna.  
—-  
Nova led Danna through the Cathedral, being sure to go ways she knew no one else would be on. She was heading the opposite direction of Adrian, but that was fine. She wasn’t going to rescue him. He was the son of her enemies.   
Danna, however, was just another person who had believed the Renegade propaganda. With the right push, Nova could flip her. She just needed time. And she was running out fast.   
“We should have seen someone by now,” Danna hissed. “What’s happening?”  
Nova shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. “I don’t know. But it’s working for us. Relax.” Nova grinned. “We got this.”  
Danna nodded, and smiled worriedly. “You’re right. We do. We can save Adrian and Oscar.”  
“I think it’s this way,” Nova said, pretending to act confused. She pointed at the left passage extending from where the hallway split into identical paths.  
“You think?” Danna asked skeptically.   
Nova scowled. “It all looks the same. And I've never been here before.”  
“Consider yourself lucky. Most people who come in don’t make it out.” Danna shivered, while Nova bit back a snort, as they continued on.   
Danna was terrified of Ace. Of what he had done. Even though she put up a fierce front, Dana was completely and utterly terrified of the prospect of facing Ace Anarchy. She had before. And look where she had ended up. Trapped in a jar, unable to free herself for weeks.   
Nova felt a familiar tinge of guilt return when she remembered the golden butterfly that had sat on the table in Nova’s house.   
She tried to ignore it as best she could.   
“Nova?” Danna asked, in a small voice.  
She sounded weak. Tired. Small.  
“Yes?” Nova responded, trying not to sound annoyed. “What is it?”  
Danna blushed. “Can I hold your hand?”  
Nova’s mouth fell open. Her confusion must have been clear, because Danna blushed even brighter red.   
“It’s just… last time I was here, things didn’t go well for me. It brings back bad memories. But… I think it would be better if I could hold on to something. Someone.”  
“Oh.” Nova smiled tiredly. “Of course.” She held her hand out to Danna, and she grasped it gracefully.   
Danna’s hand was warm and slightly sweaty in Nova’s but she didn’t care. The trust that Danna gave her then made Nova feel like she could fly. Nova was lighter than ever, and she fought to contain a smile.   
“Come on,” she said gruffly, trying to hide her joy. “We should keep going.”  
“Which way?”  
Nova paused for a minute, pretending to think. “This way,” she pointed to an old stairwell. It led down, into the catacombs. A different place than where Ace had been. Nova was confident that she could successfully ‘get lost’ in there with Danna.   
The pang of guilt came back, stronger than ever. Nova knew she should just put Danna to sleep, let someone else deal with her. Danna was below her. Nova didn’t have time to handle a mere Renegade. She had more important things to do.   
But Danna wasn’t a mere Renegade. She was more important than that. She was Danna.   
She was the most important thing in the world, Nova thought.   
What? No. Nonononono. Nova tried to shove those thoughts away, out of her brain.   
Did Nova like Danna? Like her, as more than a friend?  
Nova groaned to herself.   
Yes. Yes, she did with absolute certainty. Nova had a goddamn crush on a fucking Renegade. Great.   
It would all be over if you just put her to sleep, the voice in her head whispered.  
“Shut up, me,” Nova growled.  
“Did you say something?” Danna asked.  
Nova shook her head quickly. “No, I didn’t. Come on,” she waved Danna over to hurry up.   
“Oh. Right.” Danna hurried over.   
Each word Danna said was a knife in her heart. It was twisting in, farther and farther.   
Nova kept taking Danna farther and farther away from the truth. As if they could out run it. As if, if they went far enough, they could make the inevitable become evitable. Danna didn’t need to be a Renegade, and Nova didn’t need to be an Anarchist. They could be Nova and Danna. They could be enough.  
“You really think Adrian and Oscar are down here?” Danna asked.   
And Nova was jolted back to reality. What was she doing?   
Danna didn’t feel the same way. She hated Nightmare. She hated Nova.   
Nova sighed. “No,” she said truthfully. “I don’t.”  
“What the hell, Nova?” Danna shouted. “We are running out of time. We need to find them. Now!” she stomped her foot against the hard ground. “Why are we down here?”  
Nova ignored her brain, screaming at her to stop, think about what she was doing. She let her body decide. She let her heart choose.   
Her heart chose Danna.  
“To do this,” Nova whispered, approaching Danna. Kept moving forwards, until they were inches apart.  
“Nova?” Danna opened her mouth again, but Nova stopped her words with a sweet, gentle kiss.   
“Oh.” Nova melted with Danna’s touch.   
Danna laughed softly when they parted. “Took you long enough.”  
Nova blushed. “I didn't think you would like me. Not after-” She stopped herself. She didn’t need to blow her cover yet. She had time. She could still be Nova Mclain. Insomnia. A renegade. Her lip started to curl, but she remembered what else she could be if she kept her cover up, for just a little bit longer.  
She could be Danna’s. Wasn’t that worth it? Worth it all?  
Yes, Nova decided. It was worth it.   
“Not after what?” Danna prompted.   
Nova sighed. “Nothing.”  
Danna’s gaze hardened. “Nova, after what?” Her words were ice. Nova tried not to cringe.  
“Well… Adrian. He and I… we… well, we’ve kissed.” Nova wasn’t technically lying. But, everything with Adrian was over. That wasn’t the problem.  
“Oh.” Danna’s face flooded with relief. “I thought…” she shook herself. “That’s okay. We’ll figure it out later. RIght now, we just need to find him. Okay?”  
Nova smiled, relieved that Danna still trusted her. “Okay. Let’s find him.”  
“Together?” Danna held her warm brown hand out.   
Nova grinned. “Together.”  
\---  
Nova thought as she led Danna around the twisted passages about what to do.   
She couldn’t leave Danna. Not now. Not when she knew that Danna loved her. Loved her the same way Nova loved Danna.   
No one had ever cared for her like that before. It was new. It was exciting. It was dangerous.  
Nova wanted to explore all of it. With Danna.   
But she couldn’t.   
Danna was a Renegade.   
The Renegades killed Nova’s family.  
But none of that had been Danna’s fault. Danna was just another girl, manipulated by their lies, and promises of glory.   
Danna hadn’t pulled the trigger.   
She didn’t deserve Nova’s hate. She didn’t deserve anything but love from Nova.   
So how could Nova even consider betraying her.  
And in that moment, Nova knew what she had to do.   
She chose with her heart. And her heart led her to Danna. Always Danna. Only Danna.   
Nova Artino was done with the Anarchists.   
Revenge didn’t sound so sweet anymore.  
Not when it meant losing Danna.  
“Nova!” Danna screamed. She had lost track of her thoughts, and nearly ran into one of the escaped prisoners.   
The prisoner saw Danna’s Renegade uniform, and snarled.   
They tackled Danna, pushing her down, into the floor.   
“Danna!” Nova screamed her voice breaking.   
The prisoner pulled their arm back. About to punch Danna. About to hurt Danna.   
Nova stopped thinking.   
She wrapped her fingers around their bicep, and forced her power into them.   
The prisoner swayed briefly, then collapsed to the floor with a dull thud.   
“Danna! Oh, Danna are you alright?” Nova asked, rushing to her side.   
But Danna was looking at her with horror.   
“You… you weren’t pretending,” she whispered. “You really are Nightmare.”  
No. No. Danna couldn’t know yet. They still had so much time they could spend together. It was too soon.   
Nova held up her hands, smiling sadly. She tried to force the tears leaking out of her eyes back up, but it was too late.   
“I can explain, I promise. I swear, it’s not what you think!” Nova said desperately.   
Danna backed away, shying from Nova’s touch. “You were just distracting me. The whole time!” Danna looked down. “I thought you were real. I thought we were real. But you were just using me.”  
“No Danna, that’s not it. I love you, really I do!” Nova was sobbing now. She was pathetic. Weak. She couldn’t get a grip on herself.   
“You’re just trying to save your own skin,” Danna spat.   
“No, I’d leave it all for you. I was going to leave it all for you!” Nova tried to place a hand on Danna’s knee.   
“Get away from me!” Danna screamed. “I don’t believe you. Nightmare.” Her face was full of disgust and hate.   
“...Danna, please. You have to believe me.”  
Danna rose, trying to get away from Nova. she duckied, and grabbed the gun off the sleeping prisoners belt.   
“Danna, no,” Nova begged. “Don’t do this.”  
There were tears in Danna’s eyes. “Nightmare, you are wanted for the attempted assassnation of Hugh Everhart, the theft of Ace Anarchy’s helmet, assisting in the slaughter of countless Renegades at the neutralizing, neutralizing Frostbites team, being involved with Ace Anarchy's rise to power, as well as several other crimes. If you don’t submit, I may have to use lethal force.” Danna raised the gun up, her entire body shaking. “Please Nova, let me just arrest you, I don’t want to kill you.”  
Nova smiled sadly. “You know I can’t do that. But it’s not too late. For both of us. We can run away, Danna. Just be together. I know you want that.”  
Danna’s eyes watered, and the gun shook in her hand. “Since you have refused to go peacefully, I must do whatever is necessary to subdue, and if necessary, exterminate the threat.”  
Finger trembling on the trigger.   
Nova felt her mouth go dry. She couldn’t breathe. Danna hadn’t chosen her.  
She knew this would happen. Nova knew, but she let her emotions get the best of her.   
Danna screwed her eyes shut, and pulled the trigger.   
BANG  
Nova flinched. Not from pain, but the kickback in her hand. She looked at the smoking gun in her hand.   
The gun in her hand. That meant…  
“No!” Nova screamed. She sprinted to where Danna swayed, her hand clutched to a red stain, her mouth gaping.   
Nova caught Danna in her arms, right before the weak girl hit the ground.   
“No,” Nova sobbed. “Danna!” She let her tears fall freely. “I’m so sorry…” she whispered.   
“Nova,” Danna gasped, pain all over her face.   
Nova nodded. “I’m here. I’m here Danna.” She wipes away her tears, getting Danna’s warm blood all over her face. By this point, they were both soaked in red.   
“Nova, this is…” Danna shuddered, trying to take in more breaths.   
“What is it?” Nova begged. “What.”  
“Your fault,” Danna said. “You killed me…”  
“No! You aren’t dead yet! I’m getting you out of this. Alive. We are walking out of this cathedral together. I swear it.”  
“I don’t trust a villain,” Danna spat. “Especially not you. You shot me.”  
Nova pressed her face against Danna’s bloody chest, and sobbed harder. “I know. It’s my fault. It is all my fault. But I love you! More than everything. I’d do anything to fix this. I’d do anything for you.”   
Danna’s eyes widened. “Anything?” She asked, chest heaving from the effort of keeping her broken body alive.   
Nova nodded. “I love you, Danna. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I’d do anything you asked of me.”  
Danna’s face hardened into a mask of ice. “Then go to hell,” She snarled. “You are Nightmare, an Anarchist and a traitor. You are a bad person. I can’t believe I ever loved you.”  
Nova’s body shook with sobs. “I know,” she whispered. “I know.”   
Danna’s expression softened. “Were…” she broke into a bout of harsh coughing, blood dribbling out her lip. “Were you really going to leave for me?” She asked softly.   
Nova nodded. “I know you don’t feel about me the same way as I do. But you're the one. The one I know was meant for me, the one who I will always love, the one I will always come back to, the one I will always forgive. I’d sell my soul for you.”  
Danna tried to smile. “I feel the same way. And…. I didn’t mean what I said. This isn’t your fault. None of it is.” She coughed again. “We were just pawns in a war we didn’t choose. You aren’t at fault, Nova.”  
“But I am! Oh, I am, it’s all happening because of me. It’s all my fault.”   
“It’s not!”  
Nova shook her head. “It is. But I can still fix things. I can still save you.”  
Danna slowly shook her head. “No. You can’t. It’s too late. I can feel my pulse fading, my blood flowing out. I grow weaker with every second. Nova, I’m already dead.”  
Nova shook her head, warm tears rolling down her cheek, and splashing against the bright red stain. “No, I refuse to let you die!”  
“Nova,” Danna said gently, reaching up to cradle her cheek with a shaking hand. “Please. Let me go.”  
“No,” Nova begged, clutching tightly against the hand. “I won’t,” she sobbed. “Danna, you can’t leave me!”  
“I love you, Nova,” the dying girl said at last, and her chest rose one last time. And she was gone. A cold, dead hand clutched Nova tightly.   
Nova sat there sobbing for some time. Her soul had been ripped apart. Nothing but pain was left.   
Nothing at all but pain.   
—-  
BANGBANGBANGBANG  
Her life had been torn apart. First Mamá and Papá, then Evie. And now Danna was gone. Forever.   
Nova fell to her knees, clutching her head in her hands. A twisted dreadlock taunted her from the corner of her eyes. A reminder. A reminder of how it was all Nova’s fault. She hadn’t saved her parents, she hadn’t saved Evie, and now, years later, she hadn’t saved Danna.   
No, it was so much worse. Nova had killed Danna. It was her finger that had pulled the trigger.   
This was all Nova’s fault. She let out a guttural scream and slammed her fists into the ground. They came up sticky with blood. Danna’s blood.   
Nova sobbed, and cradled her fragile body.   
“My fault,” she wailed. “My fault, my fault, my fault.”   
She had to get up. She had to keep moving. Nova had chosen Danna, but Danna had not chosen her. The conflict about her loyalties were gone.   
Nova was done with the Renegades. Forever. She would never be able to look at them without remembering her little butterfly. The one she killed. The butterfly Nova had murdered. A fresh wave of pain washed over her.   
And then, something dawned on her.  
Nova Mcain was dead. She had died with Danna. Insomnia, the Renegade, the girl in love with a girl made of butterflies was gone.  
Forever.   
Nova Artino was left in her place.   
She was an Artino, and nothing else. Her uncle had done so many great things, by simply letting himself be who he was. He did what he was born to do. And she would do the same.   
Nova knew what she had to do. She knew her path.   
Nova Artino was an Anarchist. She was a villain. Nova was Nightmare, and she finally understood what she had to do.


End file.
